Letters and Comments for June 3, 2009

Cooke

Plant trees, show humanity

To the Editor:

Driving along Pierce Road on a hot May afternoon, I observed a group of farmworkers huddled under the shade of one scraggly tree and sitting on the shady side of the outhouse. I looked around for the nearest tree and saw how merciless our valley has become. For the convenience of huge equipment and factory-farm techniques, our native treelines and windbreaks have been eradicated. How poorly we have treated the land since the first white man came here!

These workers are human beings like us. They need a cool resting spot to rehydrate and regain energy for their long hours of hard labor. I fear we have progressed little in the century and a half since slavery was abolished.

Meanwhile, mice have overrun many square miles of farmland with no predators able to keep them in check. I understand many tons of rodent poison are used throughout the Grande Ronde Valley these days.

How wonderful it would be to see more hawks and owls nesting in big trees and feeding on the mice! The undergrowth could shelter skunks, foxes and other rodent-devouring mammals.

This is a plea to landowners throughout our valley: Please plant many trees on this anniversary of Oregon’s statehood and every year from now on.

Be sure to water and care for existing trees and above all, show humanity toward the poor, the tired and the thirsty ones who do so much for us all.

Mary Cooke

Cove